Videos: Hawaii, Wisconsin ObamaCare experiences … less than optimal

posted at 2:01 pm on October 16, 2013 by Ed Morrissey

Reports from two more states and their experiences with ObamaCare exchanges show that the HHS effort has produced a lot of embarrassment across the board. Hawaii built its own exchange, one of just 16 states (plus DC) to build their own exchange, rather than rely on the federal exchange. Unfortunately for Hawaii, they chose the same contractor as HHS — CGI Federal — and ended up with even worse issues in the first two weeks (via Watchdog.org):

Hawaii Health Connector Executive Director Coral Andrews said at a news conference Tuesday that consumers can now review and buy plans offered on the exchange’s website, HawaiiHealthConnector.com.

The re-launching of the website comes after more than two weeks of trying to fix technical problems that rendered the site unable to display plans and prices.

The delay caused some people without insurance to go directly to insurance companies, which offered the same plans without the ability to check for tax subsidies and other rebates. The website was developed by CGI Group Inc., a Canadian company that specializes in end-to-end information technology and business process services.

“To our community, I want to acknowledge and thank you for your patience in waiting for us to be able to get these prices and plans to you,” an apologetic Andrews told reporters.

Although consumers can now compare and contrast health plans online, the website was not without its glitches Tuesday. Consumers who tried to log on before 1 p.m. were greeted with a blank screen and a one line message that read: “This website is temporarily unavailable, please try again later.”

About a half hour later, the website was back up, but technical difficulties are providing critics of the Affordable Care Act fresh ammunition to rail against the unpopular legislation.

The cost to build Hawaii’s state website? According to one legislator, it was $53 million to serve 300,000 people, but only a third of those don’t already have health insurance. The contract got awarded on January 29th of this year, so CGI Federal burned through that cash in nine months to deliver a useless site on the deadline date. So how many people have signed up?

Andrews was unable to say Tuesday how many Hawaii residents have actually applied for health insurance under the exchange, but said Connector employees will manually process applications that were turned in before plans went live on the website.

In that sense, Wisconsin is ahead of the game. They can count the people who have successfully enrolled through the federal exchange, but it’s, er, less than 50. And maybe a lot less (via WFB):

According to the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance less than 50 people have enrolled. But some health clinics say it’s less than that.

Trish Sarvela with Partnership Community Health Center said she only knows of a few.

“Less than a handful,” she said.

At Partnership Community Health Center they communicate frequently with other county health clinics to see if anyone has signed up.

“Every day there are emails that go out. Do you know anybody who enrolled? It’s at that level it’s such a countdown for us,” said Sarvela.

Here we have both experiences, with a state exchange and the federal exchange, but with similar outcomes — failure. But has forcing more people into the federal exchanges has made the failures more acute? Jill Lawrence argues that Republican governors who blocked the creation of state exchanges have managed to do a lot more damage to ObamaCare than Republicans in Congress could manage with control of just one chamber:

Republicans are having a bad month, but they should cheer up. Sure, conservative lawmakers have flamed out in dozens of attempts to defund, delay, repeal and pick off pieces of the Affordable Care Act, and the GOP has taken the brunt of voter outrage over the shutdown precipitated by that crusade. Yet with a big assist from its governors, the party has already done damage to Obamacare in numerous, possibly profound ways.

Let’s start with the disastrous launch of the behemoth federal insurance exchange run by the Health and Human Services Department. Yes, Republicans managed to divert attention from that to their own comedy of errors on Capitol Hill. But don’t forget why the federal exchange,healthcare.gov, is so gigantic. It’s because just 16 states and the District of Columbia created or plan to create their own marketplaces. By contrast,almost all of the nation’s 30 Republican governors took a pass on setting up exchanges for their own states, punting that task to the feds. That along with other tactics and decisions amounts to what you might call the GOP Effect—damage that’s indirect, often uncoordinated, and possibly at times unintentional, but potent all the same.

For instance, some of the initial problems on the federal exchange were due to heavy traffic. It would not have been as much of a bottleneck had more governors created individual state exchanges. More serious and continuing problems are due to misjudgments and shortcomings embedded in the federal website itself, and the worst may be yet to come.

The worst yet to come will be when the exchanges finally work — and people get the full brunt of the sticker shock. After that, a full year of paying nothing but higher premiums and higher deductibles without accessing coverage at all will have consumers hopping mad, just in time for the midterm elections.

Republicans haven’t damaged ObamaCare as much as it is a rolling disaster on its own. Americans are just getting around to discovering it, along with the shocking level of incompetence in the Obama administration that arrogated to itself the power to manipulate the health-insurance market.

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Hawaii built its own exchange, one of just 16 states (plus DC) to build their own exchange, rather than rely on the federal exchange. Unfortunately for Hawaii, they chose the same contractor as HHS — CGI Federal —

For instance, some of the initial problems on the federal exchange were due to heavy traffic. It would not have been as much of a bottleneck had more governors created individual state exchanges.

Another idiot self-identifies. For the one millionth time, website scalability planning should not be an arcane art in the 21st century for professional system implementers. Worse though for Jill Lawrence is the myriad of accounts that detail the ass-backwards architecture of the site and the surfeit of evidence of general incompetence employed in the design and implementation of this EPIC boondoggle. I guess it is the Republican Governors that are responsible for Democratic ineptitude. Idiot.

We needed some kind of poison pill or something to kill Obamacare. We found it in defund. Obamacare would have died on the vine, and the key parts of the govt would have found a way to reopen even without a comprehensive CR. We would have won the shutdown, and the debt ceiling had nothing to do with that. The shutdown was (is?) harmless. Not the debt ceiling.

But it’s like we tried to do too much. We had to get the debt ceiling issue out of the way without it throwing a monkey wrench into the successful partial shutdown strategy. Well, the debt ceiling threw a monkey wrench into things alright.

Is there still time for the House to act on keeping the shutdown going while raising the debt ceiling? Can they pass all that the senate wanted except for reopening the govt and funding Obamacare? Give the senate a debt ceiling raise by itself and see if the senate will balk.

This BS about letting ObamaCare collapse – is BS. It was designed to collapse – but when it does – there won’t be any going back because the insurance industry will have been decimated along with businesses that were picking up most of the cost of paying for it.

Single Payer will magically appear.

Why do you think LIBERAL news outlets are COMPLAINING NOW about ObamaCare?

Republicans haven’t damaged ObamaCare as much as it is a rolling disaster on its own. Americans are just getting around to discovering it, along with the shocking level of incompetence in the Obama administration that arrogated to itself the power to manipulate the health-insurance market.

This should have been the news for the last two and a half weeks. Were there some good bits from the shutdown? Showing America how infantile the administration acts with regard to shutting down parks, roads, forcing folks out of their vacation homes, etc. – yes, but it needn’t have happened.

Furthermore, through this strategic misstep, the Republicans may have wasted an opportunity to draw more cuts in spending out of the democrats with the debt ceiling debate.

Time for the Conservatives in the party to wake up and start playing hardball politics like the dems do. Be as shrewd as serpents, but innocent as doves.

Hopefully this will be the narrative next week after the Tea Party’s humiliating and embarrassing defeat is in the books.

rubberneck on October 16, 2013 at 2:07 PM

You fools who refuse to fight anyone but your own party have been exposed by the tea party. Obama is attempting to wrestle congress’ power to spend away from the House, a type of coup, and you’re too stupid to see it. Instead you attack the very people trying to stop him. You can get bent.

When ever I get fed up with the Republican in fighting, I remember that the Democrats do not allow dissent. They don’t fight, they threaten and destroy anyone who suggests an opinion that is different.

It wasn’t a strategic misstep – the Conservative Republicans DEFUNDED ObamaCare – not their fault the RINO’s caved.

Second …

They had no choice but to make this stand – since the establishment refused to fight earlier.

Third …

This was the LAST stand. ObamaCare can’t be stopped now – no matter how bad it is. The fact is – it is supposed to fail – it is designed to fail so that single payer can be implemented.

What the GOP is about to do – is surrender at Appomatox Court House – this is the END of the ObamaCare fight. Oh sure, we’ll all have great fun poking away at how much of a comical failure O-Care is – but it won’t stop the end result …

This BS about letting ObamaCare collapse – is BS. It was designed to collapse – but when it does – there won’t be any going back because the insurance industry will have been decimated along with businesses that were picking up most of the cost of paying for it.

Single Payer will magically appear.

Why do you think LIBERAL news outlets are COMPLAINING NOW about ObamaCare?

It’s because they know the f*ckin’ plan, Stan!

HondaV65 on October 16, 2013 at 2:19 PM

Correct. The inevitable collapse is a ‘feature’ and if the Dunces retain the Senate in ’14. or perhaps earlier, Reid will use the nuclear option to push single payer. The house, as usual, will cave. I find it amazing that that body cannot generate a Republican leader who knows how to negotiate.

You fools who refuse to fight anyone but your own party have been exposed by the tea party. Obama is attempting to wrestle congress’ power to spend away from the House, a type of coup, and you’re too stupid to see it. Instead you attack the very people trying to stop him. You can get bent.

Two items on the Wisconsin bit (which is run solely by the feds) for the good of the order (three if you count the second one as two instead of a two-parter):

- The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance had to go out and ask each of the 13 participants on the exchange how many signed up in the first week.

- Those 13 exchange participants represent just over half of the 25 insurance outfits selling individual health insurance plans, while less than a third of those selling small-business group plans participating in their exchange, with the non-exchange participants citing the not-insignificant fee placed on those participating on the exchanges and uncertainty on when and whether the subsidies for the “poor” will come in from the feds.

“Republicans haven’t damaged ObamaCare as much as it is a rolling disaster on its own.”

It’s not worth debating this inane non-sequitur.

The bottom line is the Republicans did what they could to attempt to prevent the public from suffering a year’s worth of additional expense this farce of an affordable care plan foisted on the them by the Democrats. They told the pubic it was going to be the disaster it is proving to be.

The Republicans worked hard to prevent this disaster and voted to do so. The Democrats worked hard to keep this disaster and voted to do so. If your premiums go up by a grand, that is a grand the Dems forced you to pay and a grand the Republicans tried to save you. And not only will you never that thousand bucks back, you’ll be paying a lot more from the monies the government spent in forcing in implementing it — hundreds of millions, if not billions, have already been wasted trying to implement it.

Remember that come next year. The Republicans wanted to save you from the predations by Democrats on your pocketbook.

They – the MSM – has already pivoted to immigration. Obamacare will continue to be ignored by them. There are many areas to monday morning QB the GOP efforts surrounding the “slowdown”. Making any argument that the defund/delay “slowdown” the govt and OCare took away press coverage the horrors of the OCare implementation are not grounded in any sort of fact. Quit making the argument. They are not journalists – they are the propaganda wing of the dem party and they will do next to nothing to shine a light on the fact that the people the dems profess to care for and protect have been getting royally screwed by this admin and are about to get it worse.

That is the truth – any argument against that truth is an unwillingness to look at reality. SO just stop with the wishful thinking. The only press we will get on ObamaCare is how evil the GOP is for not letting us spend more on the subsidies to make it even more affordable.

As for those who think this was a major defeat for the Tea Party. I would suggest you look in your rear view mirror. This was the first real skirmish of the advanced scouting parties for the TP with the establishment GOP. In 2010, the establishment rode the wave and enthusiasm of the TP to a degree – but have backed away since. This fight was the first real evidence of the establishment’s attempt to push them out. The states – who are more closely in contact with the people, are already feeling it, and reacting to it. The Feds will learn it better as we move along. The TP will continue to get better organized and better at generating candidates who can win more than just House races. They have a few establishment senate scalps – more are coming.

We are now coming to the third multi-generational battle this country has fought since its founding. The civil war, the new deal, and now this. We will pivot right or left when it is over – the money will eventually end the entire discussion perhaps. But in the end, the right will either win politically or US govt finances will let them win by default. No pun intended.

That is the truth – any argument against that truth is an unwillingness to look at reality. SO just stop with the wishful thinking. The only press we will get on ObamaCare is how evil the GOP is for not letting us spend more on the subsidies to make it even more affordable.

Zomcon JEM on October 16, 2013 at 4:11 PM

Yep, if it looks bad for obama either it won’t be reported or any failure found with obamacare will be the fault of republicans.

I like Cruz and Lee exponentially better than most Republicans but I could see the Repubulican leadership giving a little help to make Obamacare become single payer. It will be for the good of the nation, of course.

Because single payer.* It’s coming. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Especially if Obamacare tanks, it’s going to take the private insurance industry down with it.

Regardless of whether or not we the American public are happy with the government and don’t want them to have a say in our healthcare again after the Obamacare debacle, we will be left with and given only one option, single payer.

If Obamacare flops and takes private insurance companies down with them, where will the nation turn to for its insurance needs?

The argument will be made that single payer is the only option available and that besides, it’s simple, broad and all-encompassing.

Ace linked to an article about this just yesterday or the day before.

Plenty of conservatives and Republicans believe that the American public will not go along with single payer after Obamacare collapses, but if the private insurance and healthcare industry is effectively destroyed/bankrupted and the Republicans and/or private industry doesn’t have an effective and quick replacement, where does that leave the American public? We can complain and say we’re not going to allow the government to do single payer, but if there’s no other option… We pretty much had no choice about Obamacare, regardless of how many of us didn’t and don’t want it.

I like Cruz and Lee exponentially better than most Republicans but I could see the Repubulican leadership giving a little help to make Obamacare become single payer. It will be for the good of the nation, of course.

Cindy Munford on October 16, 2013 at 4:34 PM

We’re going to be told it’s the only option left on the table when everything collapses.

The American public was branded by the Federal gov’t a century ago, the ring put in our nose eighty years ago, sugar and carrots put in front of us nearly fifty years ago and now the electric goads come out.

As for those who think this was a major defeat for the Tea Party. I would suggest you look in your rear view mirror. This was the first real skirmish of the advanced scouting parties for the TP with the establishment GOP. In 2010, the establishment rode the wave and enthusiasm of the TP to a degree – but have backed away since. This fight was the first real evidence of the establishment’s attempt to push them out. The states – who are more closely in contact with the people, are already feeling it, and reacting to it. The Feds will learn it better as we move along. The TP will continue to get better organized and better at generating candidates who can win more than just House races. They have a few establishment senate scalps – more are coming.

We are now coming to the third multi-generational battle this country has fought since its founding. The civil war, the new deal, and now this. We will pivot right or left when it is over – the money will eventually end the entire discussion perhaps. But in the end, the right will either win politically or US govt finances will let them win by default. No pun intended.

Zomcon JEM on October 16, 2013 at 4:20 PM

I honestly hope you are right, but my gut tells me otherwise. My feeling is that we’re on a non-stop slide into soft tyranny that becomes harder and harder.

But assuming your position is right, what’s the game plan? My thoughts and feelings aside, I *am* open to being convinced, and I am not giving up just yet.

Hawaii has it easier in one sense. It has the Pre-Paid Health Care law which requires employers to provide health care insurance for employees who work full time (in any weekly period 20 hours or more, I think). Typically a part-time worker will be allowed to work no more than 19.5 hours a week for that reason.

The law is fine if you HAVE a more than part-time job.

I heard, but don’t personally know, that someone hired an unemployed friend to help him out with a bit of income, but could not let the friend work more than 19.5 hours a week else he would have to then provide health insurance which would add maybe $2 an hour in additional cost for the insurance not counting the administrative hassle.

Helping out friends only goes so far especially when there are negative incentives.

I have no guarantee on the outcome – outside if we don’t change course on spending we will financially be crippled and big govt discredited.

But someone else noted it early – its all local. Are you in an area where the establishment GOP controls the local party or not? Get involved in your local party if it isn’t TP friendly. Install more GOP representatives – for senate, get good candidates like Rubio and Cruz. If you are in a bluer state you need to have different goals. Get financial sound governors who are as conservative they can be. Get one of your state legislatures aligned with your governor and decapitate the public union/dem money stream. Fight social issues at the state – not the feds.

The cost to build Hawaii’s state website? According to one legislator, it was $53 million to serve 300,000 people,

So. CGI gets $95 million to make the federal governments exchanges for about 7.5 million people I think. It also gets another $53 million for 100,000?

They got almost $150 million to make a website that doesn’t function for either party, and they are still getting paid for the ‘delivery’ of their product? I would stop payment to them for non-performance.

What were the other things that CGI is getting paid for? They received almost $500 million in contracts for the entirety of Obamacare. The $95 million was just for the Exchanges. Are those IT based projects going to function as stupendously awesome as this?

I find this whole thing very fishy. With all the IT experts within the Obama admistration and OFA, you can’t tell me that they couldn’t/wouldn’t ask a trusted friend in Zuckerberg to help out with the IT portion of the exchanges. Or even if he knew of a company that could handle it. It is a no-brainer. Zuckerberg would have told them they were getting ripped off.

Facebook operated on less than $500 million for the first six years it exisisted. And right now, they currently have “over 1.15 billion users log into Facebook every month, and 669 million users log in daily. Mobile users now make up half of Facebook’s user base, with 819 million monthly actives.”

There needs to be an investigation into this. If Facebook can make their system handle 600 million users A DAY, and 1 billion a month; and CGI can’t even make their system handle 1 million A DAY…WTF!? What did all that money pay for if not a system that works? And Facebook did it on much less.